'Five-week' benefit delay slammed

Most people who become unemployed will soon have to wait weeks before they get any benefit payments, according to a new report.

The TUC said small print in Universal Credit rules disclosed that people losing their jobs will not be eligible for any help for a week, and will then have to wait a further month for their benefits.

The union organisation said it was a "new and deliberate delay" which could distract new claimants from looking for work and drive them into the hands of payday loan firms.

The report, published ahead of the latest unemployment figures, said the new five-week wait will apply to anyone making a fresh claim for social security benefits.

The TUC launched a campaign against the Government's welfare reforms, saying a poll of more than 1,600 adults showed that most were opposed to a five-week wait.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "While it is right to deal with people who abuse the system, the Government is now undermining the welfare safety net that any of us might need. Making people who have contributed all their lives - but who are simply unlucky enough to lose their jobs - wait five weeks before receiving any help is both cruel and vindictive.

"Just as with the bedroom tax, it shows that ministers are desperately out of touch with the lives of ordinary people, many of whom do not have any savings to fall back on.

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"People who lose their jobs need to be concentrating on looking for a new one, not worrying about whether they have enough money to pay the mortgage, keep up with their rent or feed their children.

"We already know that Universal Credit is way over budget and in the intensive care ward. The five-week wait is yet another ill-thought out idea and should be enough to send the whole policy back to the drawing board."

A separate report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation showed that over a third of people had worked as a contractor, freelancer or for an agency.

A survey of more than 4,200 adults found that one in four had been a temporary agency worker at some point in their career.

Chief executive Kevin Green said temporary work was regarded as a second rate career, but he argued it was valuable for people with family commitments or wanted to learn specific skills.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "Universal Credit is a vital reform that will simplify the benefits system and make work pay.

"The seven day waiting period for benefits is not limited to Universal Credit but will apply to out-of-work benefits under the current system too. People can apply for an advanced benefit payment if needed.

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"Paying benefits monthly is an important part of Universal Credit because it replicates the world of work and makes the transition to employment much smoother. We have matched this with increased budgeting support."

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Comments (8)

its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .

its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .jimmysmith

its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .

Score: 12

CTRILEY says...9:18am Wed 16 Jul 14

When it was all done in house you had a system that worked perfectly. If you're recently unemployed you have a better chance of getting work, but you can end up in a situation where you'll have a job offer and need the dole money due you to enable you to get to that job.

When it was all done in house you had a system that worked perfectly. If you're recently unemployed you have a better chance of getting work, but you can end up in a situation where you'll have a job offer and need the dole money due you to enable you to get to that job.CTRILEY

When it was all done in house you had a system that worked perfectly. If you're recently unemployed you have a better chance of getting work, but you can end up in a situation where you'll have a job offer and need the dole money due you to enable you to get to that job.

Score: 6

concerned.erith says...9:20am Wed 16 Jul 14

jimmysmith wrote…

its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .

spoken by a true scrounger! I was unemployed and had to wait 6 weeks for any money to come through. Every week I went to the job centre to queue among the designer clad, gold dripping unemployed. As a tax payer the rules should and must be tightened to stop the abuse of the system.

[quote][p][bold]jimmysmith[/bold] wrote:
its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .[/p][/quote]spoken by a true scrounger! I was unemployed and had to wait 6 weeks for any money to come through. Every week I went to the job centre to queue among the designer clad, gold dripping unemployed. As a tax payer the rules should and must be tightened to stop the abuse of the system.concerned.erith

jimmysmith wrote…

its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .

spoken by a true scrounger! I was unemployed and had to wait 6 weeks for any money to come through. Every week I went to the job centre to queue among the designer clad, gold dripping unemployed. As a tax payer the rules should and must be tightened to stop the abuse of the system.

Score: -7

Xbscmbe says...10:02am Wed 16 Jul 14

Concerned.erith thinks all benefit people are claiming by choice but does not admit or realise that there are claimants who once held good jobs that became redundant due to financial reasons from the employer side, hence the designer clad unemployed. The wait for benefits is unacceptable as bills must still be paid, food bought etc. I claimed last year end June '13 and received nothing to this day. The lady took all my details as well as photocopies of my uk citizenship and said all was in order and I attended all required interviews and provided evidence of all job searches/application s until August '13 which exceeded their target of 5 per week and the jobcentre consultant (ON 1ST Floor at B/mouth Jobcentre) said he would motivate my payment. I complained on their "CONTACT DETAILS" on their website and was told in late October '13 by email that I did not give my details and documents (proof of uk citizenship and residence etc,) as requested. THIS IS HOGWASH.and refused to pay me anything. Their lady employee made photocopies of everything on 28 June 2013 but must have "misplaced" my document copies.They said that I must write to the Jobcentre concerned, which I did, twice once in November '13 and again I wrote in January '14. All to no avail as no reply was forthcoming to date. They arte not really interested in assisting the unemployed as it is a case of I got my job my pay and blow the lot of you. Funny I claimed in 2010 AND HAD NO PROBLEM and the staff were much more pleasant than my experience of last year.

Concerned.erith thinks all benefit people are claiming by choice but does not admit or realise that there are claimants who once held good jobs that became redundant due to financial reasons from the employer side, hence the designer clad unemployed.
The wait for benefits is unacceptable as bills must still be paid, food bought etc.
I claimed last year end June '13 and received nothing to this day. The lady took all my details as well as photocopies of my uk citizenship and said all was in order and I attended all required interviews and provided evidence of all job searches/application
s until August '13 which exceeded their target of 5 per week and the jobcentre consultant (ON 1ST Floor at B/mouth Jobcentre) said he would motivate my payment. I complained on their "CONTACT DETAILS" on their website and was told in late October '13 by email that I did not give my details and documents (proof of uk citizenship and residence etc,) as requested. THIS IS HOGWASH.and refused to pay me anything. Their lady employee made photocopies of everything on 28 June 2013 but must have "misplaced" my document copies.They said that I must write to the Jobcentre concerned, which I did, twice once in November '13 and again I wrote in January '14. All to no avail as no reply was forthcoming to date.
They arte not really interested in assisting the unemployed as it is a case of I got my job my pay and blow the lot of you.
Funny I claimed in 2010 AND HAD NO PROBLEM and the staff were much more pleasant than my experience of last year.Xbscmbe

Concerned.erith thinks all benefit people are claiming by choice but does not admit or realise that there are claimants who once held good jobs that became redundant due to financial reasons from the employer side, hence the designer clad unemployed. The wait for benefits is unacceptable as bills must still be paid, food bought etc. I claimed last year end June '13 and received nothing to this day. The lady took all my details as well as photocopies of my uk citizenship and said all was in order and I attended all required interviews and provided evidence of all job searches/application s until August '13 which exceeded their target of 5 per week and the jobcentre consultant (ON 1ST Floor at B/mouth Jobcentre) said he would motivate my payment. I complained on their "CONTACT DETAILS" on their website and was told in late October '13 by email that I did not give my details and documents (proof of uk citizenship and residence etc,) as requested. THIS IS HOGWASH.and refused to pay me anything. Their lady employee made photocopies of everything on 28 June 2013 but must have "misplaced" my document copies.They said that I must write to the Jobcentre concerned, which I did, twice once in November '13 and again I wrote in January '14. All to no avail as no reply was forthcoming to date. They arte not really interested in assisting the unemployed as it is a case of I got my job my pay and blow the lot of you. Funny I claimed in 2010 AND HAD NO PROBLEM and the staff were much more pleasant than my experience of last year.

Score: 7

concerned.erith says...10:10am Wed 16 Jul 14

Xbscmbe wrote…

Concerned.erith thinks all benefit people are claiming by choice but does not admit or realise that there are claimants who once held good jobs that became redundant due to financial reasons from the employer side, hence the designer clad unemployed. The wait for benefits is unacceptable as bills must still be paid, food bought etc. I claimed last year end June '13 and received nothing to this day. The lady took all my details as well as photocopies of my uk citizenship and said all was in order and I attended all required interviews and provided evidence of all job searches/application s until August '13 which exceeded their target of 5 per week and the jobcentre consultant (ON 1ST Floor at B/mouth Jobcentre) said he would motivate my payment. I complained on their "CONTACT DETAILS" on their website and was told in late October '13 by email that I did not give my details and documents (proof of uk citizenship and residence etc,) as requested. THIS IS HOGWASH.and refused to pay me anything. Their lady employee made photocopies of everything on 28 June 2013 but must have "misplaced" my document copies.They said that I must write to the Jobcentre concerned, which I did, twice once in November '13 and again I wrote in January '14. All to no avail as no reply was forthcoming to date. They arte not really interested in assisting the unemployed as it is a case of I got my job my pay and blow the lot of you. Funny I claimed in 2010 AND HAD NO PROBLEM and the staff were much more pleasant than my experience of last year.

don't presume to know what I think. I have been unemployed for various reasons, including redundancy. Why did you wait from August 2013 until October 2013 to get the support? You are obviously another scrounger living on my taxes.

[quote][p][bold]Xbscmbe[/bold] wrote:
Concerned.erith thinks all benefit people are claiming by choice but does not admit or realise that there are claimants who once held good jobs that became redundant due to financial reasons from the employer side, hence the designer clad unemployed.
The wait for benefits is unacceptable as bills must still be paid, food bought etc.
I claimed last year end June '13 and received nothing to this day. The lady took all my details as well as photocopies of my uk citizenship and said all was in order and I attended all required interviews and provided evidence of all job searches/application
s until August '13 which exceeded their target of 5 per week and the jobcentre consultant (ON 1ST Floor at B/mouth Jobcentre) said he would motivate my payment. I complained on their "CONTACT DETAILS" on their website and was told in late October '13 by email that I did not give my details and documents (proof of uk citizenship and residence etc,) as requested. THIS IS HOGWASH.and refused to pay me anything. Their lady employee made photocopies of everything on 28 June 2013 but must have "misplaced" my document copies.They said that I must write to the Jobcentre concerned, which I did, twice once in November '13 and again I wrote in January '14. All to no avail as no reply was forthcoming to date.
They arte not really interested in assisting the unemployed as it is a case of I got my job my pay and blow the lot of you.
Funny I claimed in 2010 AND HAD NO PROBLEM and the staff were much more pleasant than my experience of last year.[/p][/quote]don't presume to know what I think. I have been unemployed for various reasons, including redundancy.
Why did you wait from August 2013 until October 2013 to get the support? You are obviously another scrounger living on my taxes.concerned.erith

Xbscmbe wrote…

Concerned.erith thinks all benefit people are claiming by choice but does not admit or realise that there are claimants who once held good jobs that became redundant due to financial reasons from the employer side, hence the designer clad unemployed. The wait for benefits is unacceptable as bills must still be paid, food bought etc. I claimed last year end June '13 and received nothing to this day. The lady took all my details as well as photocopies of my uk citizenship and said all was in order and I attended all required interviews and provided evidence of all job searches/application s until August '13 which exceeded their target of 5 per week and the jobcentre consultant (ON 1ST Floor at B/mouth Jobcentre) said he would motivate my payment. I complained on their "CONTACT DETAILS" on their website and was told in late October '13 by email that I did not give my details and documents (proof of uk citizenship and residence etc,) as requested. THIS IS HOGWASH.and refused to pay me anything. Their lady employee made photocopies of everything on 28 June 2013 but must have "misplaced" my document copies.They said that I must write to the Jobcentre concerned, which I did, twice once in November '13 and again I wrote in January '14. All to no avail as no reply was forthcoming to date. They arte not really interested in assisting the unemployed as it is a case of I got my job my pay and blow the lot of you. Funny I claimed in 2010 AND HAD NO PROBLEM and the staff were much more pleasant than my experience of last year.

don't presume to know what I think. I have been unemployed for various reasons, including redundancy. Why did you wait from August 2013 until October 2013 to get the support? You are obviously another scrounger living on my taxes.

Score: -3

jimmysmith says...11:17am Wed 16 Jul 14

concerned.erith wrote…

jimmysmith wrote…

its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .

spoken by a true scrounger! I was unemployed and had to wait 6 weeks for any money to come through. Every week I went to the job centre to queue among the designer clad, gold dripping unemployed. As a tax payer the rules should and must be tightened to stop the abuse of the system.

let me assure you . you pompous arrogant fool . ive never scrounged or claimed in my life .you by your own admission have though . people like you are most of the reasons why the less well of the ill and the aged continue to be down trodden by this treacherous selfish government .you pal are an idiot

[quote][p][bold]concerned.erith[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]jimmysmith[/bold] wrote:
its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .[/p][/quote]spoken by a true scrounger! I was unemployed and had to wait 6 weeks for any money to come through. Every week I went to the job centre to queue among the designer clad, gold dripping unemployed. As a tax payer the rules should and must be tightened to stop the abuse of the system.[/p][/quote]let me assure you . you pompous arrogant fool . ive never scrounged or claimed in my life .you by your own admission have though . people like you are most of the reasons why the less well of the ill and the aged continue to be down trodden by this treacherous selfish government .you pal are an idiotjimmysmith

concerned.erith wrote…

jimmysmith wrote…

its shocking how unemployed people are treated .visit any unemployment offices and just witness how the staff behave towards the people visiting .the staff behave like animals ,ignorance is an understatement .

spoken by a true scrounger! I was unemployed and had to wait 6 weeks for any money to come through. Every week I went to the job centre to queue among the designer clad, gold dripping unemployed. As a tax payer the rules should and must be tightened to stop the abuse of the system.

let me assure you . you pompous arrogant fool . ive never scrounged or claimed in my life .you by your own admission have though . people like you are most of the reasons why the less well of the ill and the aged continue to be down trodden by this treacherous selfish government .you pal are an idiot

Score: 4

paultheuver1 says...1:35pm Wed 16 Jul 14

This CONservative lead government have villified benefit claimants from day one, feeding the impressionable through the right wing press. What they fail to report is that the majority claiming benefits are in fact in work. In jobs that don't pay enough to live without such financial support. Of course there will be some that abuse the system, who rightly are villified and exposed, but only a niave, likely a Daily Mail reader would think that the majority are scroungers. This governments shameless double standards has the gullible berating anyone claiming benefits, while it has MPs renting out their 2nd (London) homes, whilst claiming more than £20,000 a year to rent another London residence. A clear example that we are not 'All in it Together', because if you or I did this, we would rightly be prosecuted as benefit cheats.

This CONservative lead government have villified benefit claimants from day one, feeding the impressionable through the right wing press.
What they fail to report is that the majority claiming benefits are in fact in work. In jobs that don't pay enough to live without such financial support.
Of course there will be some that abuse the system, who rightly are villified and exposed, but only a niave, likely a Daily Mail reader would think that the majority are scroungers.
This governments shameless double standards has the gullible berating anyone claiming benefits, while it has MPs renting out their 2nd (London) homes, whilst claiming more than £20,000 a year to rent another London residence.
A clear example that we are not 'All in it Together', because if you or I did this, we would rightly be prosecuted as benefit cheats.paultheuver1

This CONservative lead government have villified benefit claimants from day one, feeding the impressionable through the right wing press. What they fail to report is that the majority claiming benefits are in fact in work. In jobs that don't pay enough to live without such financial support. Of course there will be some that abuse the system, who rightly are villified and exposed, but only a niave, likely a Daily Mail reader would think that the majority are scroungers. This governments shameless double standards has the gullible berating anyone claiming benefits, while it has MPs renting out their 2nd (London) homes, whilst claiming more than £20,000 a year to rent another London residence. A clear example that we are not 'All in it Together', because if you or I did this, we would rightly be prosecuted as benefit cheats.

Score: 6

jimmysmith says...1:53pm Wed 16 Jul 14

paultheuver1 wrote…

This CONservative lead government have villified benefit claimants from day one, feeding the impressionable through the right wing press. What they fail to report is that the majority claiming benefits are in fact in work. In jobs that don't pay enough to live without such financial support. Of course there will be some that abuse the system, who rightly are villified and exposed, but only a niave, likely a Daily Mail reader would think that the majority are scroungers. This governments shameless double standards has the gullible berating anyone claiming benefits, while it has MPs renting out their 2nd (London) homes, whilst claiming more than £20,000 a year to rent another London residence. A clear example that we are not 'All in it Together', because if you or I did this, we would rightly be prosecuted as benefit cheats.

here here ,well said sir

[quote][p][bold]paultheuver1[/bold] wrote:
This CONservative lead government have villified benefit claimants from day one, feeding the impressionable through the right wing press.
What they fail to report is that the majority claiming benefits are in fact in work. In jobs that don't pay enough to live without such financial support.
Of course there will be some that abuse the system, who rightly are villified and exposed, but only a niave, likely a Daily Mail reader would think that the majority are scroungers.
This governments shameless double standards has the gullible berating anyone claiming benefits, while it has MPs renting out their 2nd (London) homes, whilst claiming more than £20,000 a year to rent another London residence.
A clear example that we are not 'All in it Together', because if you or I did this, we would rightly be prosecuted as benefit cheats.[/p][/quote]here here ,well said sirjimmysmith

paultheuver1 wrote…

This CONservative lead government have villified benefit claimants from day one, feeding the impressionable through the right wing press. What they fail to report is that the majority claiming benefits are in fact in work. In jobs that don't pay enough to live without such financial support. Of course there will be some that abuse the system, who rightly are villified and exposed, but only a niave, likely a Daily Mail reader would think that the majority are scroungers. This governments shameless double standards has the gullible berating anyone claiming benefits, while it has MPs renting out their 2nd (London) homes, whilst claiming more than £20,000 a year to rent another London residence. A clear example that we are not 'All in it Together', because if you or I did this, we would rightly be prosecuted as benefit cheats.

here here ,well said sir

Score: 1

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